Norwegian vs Princess

[awhcruiser]

I am considering two cruises.  One is a 14 day out of San Juan sailing to Barcelona on NCL.  Have sailed NCL only once about 20 years ago.    Second is a 14 day on Princess from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona.  I am Platinum on Princess.    Ships are NCL Epic and Enchanted Princess.  Haven't sailed either of those either.  Can anyone offer opinions who has salied on one or both of these lines?

 

Thanks!

[tallnthensome]

I’ve done Princess and would stay with Princess over the disliked Epic especially on a 14 day cruise. Stick with the better food and service with Princess. It might not be as lively as the NCL cruise but that would not sway me enough ......

[luckyinpa]

i can only compare regal and breakaway but the main thing i preferred about regal was the  interior spaciousness. cant say they have that on enchanted and for a colder cruise i did prefer regal. but you wont have those issues of course. princess was definitely a more mature crowd. NCL gives away all that free booze and princess doesnt. also the layout of the buffet was superior on regal. if you want great 1st run entertainment NCL was the way to go. the theater and upper decks were all about great entertainment. 

 

i think most would agree princess overall is more laid back and designed for relaxing. NCL would be the choice for those who want a lot of activities. water slides etc.  i wish princess had a better NYC schedule.sigh

[awhcruiser]

Thanks for your responses.

[jgreenwo17]

I've been on a few Princess cruises and am trying NCL for the first time in a couple of months.  I agree with other posters that Princess is more laid back and caters to an older demographic.  I'm of a mind that why not try something new and different every now and then?  I like Princess a lot but feel that I am in a rut with them.  I am stoked to try something new.  If I am disappointed with NCL, I can go back to the tried and true that I am comfortable with and be all the wiser.

[CruisinFarmer]

Have been on numerous cruises with Princess.  Switched to NCL because of the Haven.  I'm also Platinum on Princess.  If you aren't staying in the Haven, I'd stay with Princess but nothing on Princess compares to the Haven if you are staying there.

 

[leongcpa]

Generally, I like NCL better than Princess: better thermal spa, better entertainment... but some family members of mine (they are platinum on both Princess and NCL) had a terrible experience on the Epic so we avoid that ship pretty much at all costs...

[dznymom]

I have about 15 NCL cruises and 2 on Princess, with one of those being on the Royal.  I really love both lines, but I will say the Epic is one of my least favorite ships with the exception of Howl at the Moon, which was fantastic.  

 

We aren't big on the standard daytime activity stuff that NCL does, but found we really enjoyed the enrichment activities on Princess which seemed much more varied.  We prefer the MDR food on Princess but appreciate that NCL has more specialty options, especially on a longer cruise.  We also appreciate that Princess has self laundry (assuming that they still do) which comes in really handy on long cruises.  The Epic felt much more crowded, and we don't like having to book ahead for so many things.

 

If it were me, I would choose the Enchanted Princess, but neither is a bad choice.  

 

 

Edited August 31, 2019 by dznymom
typos

[jgreenwo17]

17 hours ago, CruisinFarmer said:

Have been on numerous cruises with Princess.  Switched to NCL because of the Haven.  I'm also Platinum on Princess.  If you aren't staying in the Haven, I'd stay with Princess but nothing on Princess compares to the Haven if you are staying there.

 

I have a mid-ship mini suite but have bids on the Haven suites as well.  I hope I hit the Haven jackpot!  I have done a deep dive learning about the Haven and I can't stop dreaming about it.

[LaCal]

Loved Princess and Love NCL but I’d Pick NCL hands down 

 

Especially for the perks and if you drink 😜🍹🍹 hands down it would be NCL W their free drink perk.  On a 14 day cruise the drink package on Princess could get pretty expensive by itself 

[rocklinmom]

Having sailed on both many times, I would say the general difference is that Princess is more traditional (formal nights, afternoon tea, etc.) and NCL is more casual (freestyle, more games and parties). Both are great. If you are looking at the Epic for NCL, that ship is very different than the others in the fleet (I think they only made one of its design because of it) and I read countless reviews about the open style bathrooms in the regular cabins (anything other than suites). People either hate it or are fine with it. I haven't personally been on Epic but depending on what type of cabin you are considering you might look over the ship deck plans and cabin photos. If you are looking at the Enchanted for Princess, it is new and won't even sail until 2020 so no reviews yet. It will be the bigger style ship, similar to Royal and Regal, with no oceanview cabins, no traditional promenade deck, and all of the technology bells and whistles (Ocean Medallion). Two very different ships, so it comes down to your own taste. 

[winty]

Have been with both Princess and NCL a few times and they are quite different. Princess seems to be for the older crowd and is more formal, entertainment is not so good (in my view). NCL is my preferred choice, more relaxed and usually has excellent entertainment with fantastic shows and some good theme nights. However I always feel Princess has a higher standard of cleanliness and their cabins seem roomier, staff are excellent on both but Princess, they really are the best of any cruise line we have been on. In terms of the Epic, we loved it. The cabins are a bit strange with the bathroom but you soon get over that. Personally I think it’s a great ship (not pretty to look at !). It’s all about personal choice, what’s important to you. There both good cruise companies and have pros and cons to each. 

[latebloomer56]

Platinum on both and enjoy both lines for different reasons. Love the thermal suite on Regal and the aft pool in the early evenings. Love all food venues on the Regal as well. The Gem thermal suite wasn't to our liking no seats with chair hogs and very loud for quite we needed to be in different areas. But have to say we have done suites on NCL (except once) and the Cagney's breakfast surpasses Princess as well as lunch very nice and quiet. So it comes down to what you want quiet easy going Princess or faster paced NCL. Both very nice, both deliver what you pay for and the crew on each of these ships are the best even though we have been on several Princess (without complaint) and 3 different NCL love the crews best on these two :). Enjoy whichever you choose.

[Granny DI]

We are Platinum on both Princess and NCL. Last cruise on Princess was a month ago on the Sapphire. Last NCL Cruise was in Jan 2019 on the Breakaway. Suites on both ships. We had booked the Crown Princess for Jan 2020. We canceled after our experience on the Sapphire. We replaced it with Nieuw Statendam on Holland America.

We love NCL but the Epic is a funky ship.....especially balcony cabins. I enjoyed a solo cabin on the Epic but sister and brother-in-law did not like their balcony cabin. 

[fshagan]

On 8/30/2019 at 8:51 AM, awhcruiser said:

I am considering two cruises.  One is a 14 day out of San Juan sailing to Barcelona on NCL.  Have sailed NCL only once about 20 years ago.    Second is a 14 day on Princess from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona.  I am Platinum on Princess.    Ships are NCL Epic and Enchanted Princess.  Haven't sailed either of those either.  Can anyone offer opinions who has salied on one or both of these lines?

 

The Epic is our least favorite NCL ship. If you liked the Princess ship in the past, I would take it for a 14 day cruise.

[lhsail]

We did the Regal Princess Transatlantic last fall from Copenhagen to New York. We were very pleased. Love the Regal and Royal and I believe the Enchanted is basically the same ship. We were on the Epic in the Med about three years ago and said we’d never step foot on that ship again unless they offered a really good itinerary at a really good price. Well, we’re doing the Epic Transatlantic Barcelona to San Juan in November. We had a mini-suite on the Regal. I really don’t like the layout of the Epic cabins, so we booked a mini-suite again hoping the extra space will help. There is no denying the Epic has better entertainment. The MDR food on Princess is better, but we have several specialty meals on the Epic and we have the drink package. I feel the Princess ships have nicer interior public spaces which is helpful for a crossing. We don’t mind the formal nights at all. If I were indeed looking at similar itineraries, similar pricing, etc. there’s no doubt I’d book Princess. I’d be happy to try to answer any specific questions you might have.